Loose leaf binder



Jan. 19, 1932. A O 1,841,793

LOOSE LEAF BINDER 'Filed Feb. 28. 1951 IIIIIIIIIIII. .i' 1/1111. an n. III/I'IIA I III, I r.

Y v w w Patented Jan. 19, 1932 UNITD STATES PATENT OFFICE qwomwmm JAMESC. DAWSON, OF WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ELMA N. DAW'SON, FWEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI LOOSE LEAF BINDER Application filed February28, 1931.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders and has for its objects toprovide means for attaching loose leaf binders of the spring cover platetype to covers adapted for use with loose leaf binders of the springback type, to provide a simple and rugged support for the booster leversof such binders and to prevent the binders from being pulled loose fromthe cover during use.

These and other objects will become apparent from the specification andthe appended drawings in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of thebinder showing a portion of the book;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through one end of the binderon the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section through the binder on the line33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is bottom plan view of the binder with portion broken away toshow the rela tion. of the parts;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing in de tail ends of the toggleplates, the attaching fitting and the booster lever.

Loose leaf binders of the spring cover type have usually been attachedto covers by means of a vertical rivet projecting through the center ofthe spring cover plate. This prac- 30 tice is open to many familiarobjections, among which is the fact that many more parts must be carriedin stock than is the case when binders of different types and sizes maybe interchangeably connected to the cover.

This problem has been satisfactorily solved in the more expensivebinders of the spring back type by providing apertures through thespring back, which engage a loop struck up from the book back andlocking the binder and back together by means of a key.

This invention contemplates the use of a fitting which engages thetoggle plates and is provided. with an aperture adapted to engage theloops of the book covers used with 45 the spring back type of binder.

The binder, generally indicated by 10, comprises a cover plate 11 havinghooked margins 12 and 13 which engage the outer edges of a pair ofarticulated toggle plates 14 and 50 15. Attached to the toggles andprojecting Serial NO. 519,138.

through apertures cut in the spring cover plate are mating pairs ofpaper-holding prongs 16 and 17. A portion of the outer margin of thetoggle plates adjacent their ends is cut away, as at 18, to giveclearance to a fitting generally indicated by 19 which comprises asubstantially rigid transversely curved plate having hooked margins 21and 22 and an end wall 23. A loop-engaging aperture 24 is cut throughthe body portion 25 of the fitting and a clearance aperture 26 is cutthrough the end closing wall 23.

The booster lever 27 having a thumb arm 28, a body portion 29, aconnecting arm 31 and an operating arm 32 is pivoted along the undersideof the body portion upon the upper margin 33 of the end wall 23.

For the sake of appearance, it is usually preferable to make the thumbarm 28, and with it the body portion 29, transversely curved to conformto the curvature of the arched cover spring 11. In such a case, thebooster lever is pivoted only at the points 34 and 35. As is bestindicated in Fig. 2, the outer face 36 of the connecting arm 31 of thebooster lever is engaged by the inner face 37 of the end wall of thefitting, and since the operating arm 32 is engaged by the toggle plates14 and 15 and passes beneath them, the booster lever is locked into theassembly.

Upon assembly, the booster lever 27 is properly seated upon the fitting19 which is slid over the ends of the toggle plates, and the cover plate11 is then applied. This may be sprung into position, or preferably. themargins 12 and 13 are rolled into their final hooked shape around thetoggle plates. The assembled binder may be then attached to the bookback by passing the loops 38, which are struck up from the book backthrough the apertures 24, and thrusting a key 39 through each aperture26 beneath the loop to lock the binder in place.

t is to be particularly noticed that the toggle plates 14 and 15 arefirmly held by the hooked margins 21 and 22. Any direct pull upon therings 17 and 18 is consequently transmitted to the whole assembly andthere is no danger that the fitting will be sprung loose from engagementwith either the toggle plates or the cover.

The wall 23 which substantially closes the arched portion of the fittingso stifi'ens the fitting that it may be considered practically rigid. Itis, therefore, necessary to allow sufficient clearance between thehooked margins 21 and 22 and relieved margins 18 of the toggle plates 14and 15 to allow the toggle plates to straighten out and snap into theiralternative position. The actual increase in the transverse dimensionacross the two plates when the toggles are straightened is not great,and the consequent looseness of the binder in the book back due to thisnecessary play is scarcely noticeable.

By this inexpensive device, I am able to adapt cheaper spring coverplate binders for use with book backs having retaining loops and I alsosecure a firm and rigid support for the booster levers of such a binder.The lack of a firm support for booster levers in spring cover platebinders has heretofore proved a considerable annoyance.

What I claim, therefore, is:

1. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of articulated toggle plates bearingmating pairs of paper-holding prongs and having that portion of theirouter margin adjacent their ends relieved, a substantially rigid fittingarched transversely with the crown down having hooked margins engagingthe relieved portion of the toggle plates and disposed beneath them, awall on the outer end of the fitting closing its arched portion and aspring cover plate arched transversely With its crown up disposed abovethe toggle plates and having hooked margins engaging the outer marginsof the plates.

2. A fitting for retaining loose leaf binders in book covers comprisinga substantially rigid transversely curved plate having hooked marginsadapted to engage the toggle plates of a loose leaf hinder the width ofthe fitting at least equalling the width of the straightened toggles tobe engaged and an end Wall on the fitting providing a fulcrum for abooster lever, said fitting having an aperture adapted to engage theconventional fastening means of a book back.

3. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of articulated toggle plates bearingmating pairs of paper-holding prongs, and having that portion of theirouter margin adjacent their ends relieved, a. plate arched transverselywith the crown up disposed above the toggle plates and having hookedmargins engaging their outer edges, a substantially rigid fitting havinghooked margins engaging the relieved portions of the toggle plates anddisposed beneath them, an end wall on the fitting and a booster leverpivoted .upon the upper margin of the wall.

4. A retaining and booster lever supporting fitting for loose leafbinders comprising a substantially rigid plate arched transversely andhaving inturned hooked margins, a wall across one end of the archterminating along the chord thereof, said fitting having aperturesformed therein to cooperate with conventional binder-retaining means.

5. A loose leaf binder having a pair of articulated toggle plates,fittings arched transversely having inturned hooked margins engaging thetoggle plates adjacent their ends, a wall across the outer end of thefitting, and a booster lever fulcrumed upon the wall, comprising an armcooperating with the toggle plates to lift them and an outwardlyextending arm to receive the operat- 1ng pressure.

6. A loose leaf binder having a pair of articulated toggle plates havingmating pairs of paper-holding prongs, a substantially rigid archedfitting having inturned margins engaging the toggle plates adjacenttheir ends, and having a transverse dimension at the base of the archequal to the width of the straighened toggle plates, an end wall on thefitting and a booster lever fulcrumed on the end wall.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JAMES C. DAWSON.

